ST. LOUIS -- Two of the Brewers’ big hitters are back. One of them announced his return with authority.
The Brewers activated outfielder Jackson Chourio and first baseman Andrew Vaughn from the injured list for Monday’s 6-3 loss to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, and Chourio went off in his season debut, reaching safely all five times while matching his career high with four hits to spark Milwaukee on a mostly frustrating night.
Chourio’s first swing of the regular season produced a first-inning double that left his bat at 108.3 mph, according to Statcast, and it was off to the races. He followed with a 102.8 mph single in the third inning, a 105.7 mph single in the fifth, took a full-count slider for a walk in the seventh and then capped his night with a 109.2 mph double in the ninth ahead of Brice Turang’s two-run homer.
But the clutch hit otherwise eluded the Brewers, who finished 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 baserunners, one shy of a season high.
“We left a lot of runners out there on the bases. That’s frustrating,” Chourio said. “At the same time, we have a very talented group here and I have a lot of confidence in all the guys here in the clubhouse. I know we’ll cash in on those opportunities later on.”
The Brewers optioned outfielder Blake Perkins to Triple-A Nashville and designated outfielder Greg Jones for assignment to make room for Chourio and Vaughn, who represent some welcome additions. The Brewers are next-to-last in the Majors with 23 home runs (ahead of only the Giants), and went into the night third from the bottom with a .354 slugging percentage while missing Chourio all season and Vaughn since Opening Day. Both were sidelined by left hand fractures.
“On an individual basis and as a team basis, it was really hard putting together lineups for that night knowing that we’re deficient in certain areas,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “You guys have brought it up: When you never go deep for that many games in a Major League season, you’re putting a lot of pressure on your defense and your pitching.
“We’ve done a great job of creating runs on our own, somehow. We’ve all seen that. But you’ve got to slug a little bit, too.”
Vaughn’s .493 slugging percentage led the Brewers last season after he came over in a trade with the White Sox, and Chourio is coming off consecutive 20-20 seasons to begin his Major League career. So, they can both slug a little bit.
Lately, the power outage has been particularly acute. The Brewers have hit five home runs in their last 18 games, including one stretch of seven consecutive games without one from April 19-26. It was the franchise's longest home run drought since 1999.
“Injuries suck,” Vaughn said. “I mean, they are part of the game, unfortunately. With this group, the ‘next man up’ thing has been huge.”
Vaughn suffered a fractured hamate in the Brewers’ Opening Day win against the White Sox and had surgery on March 30. He began a rehab assignment with Nashville on April 29 and was 2-for-11 with a walk in three games with the Sounds before going 0-for-4 with a hit-by-pitch against the Cardinals.
Chourio landed on the IL the morning of Opening Day with a fractured bone in his left hand – an injury he originally suffered while playing for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. The fracture wasn’t originally detected, but when Chourio reported lingering discomfort, he underwent more detailed scans that revealed a small fracture.
Sent to Triple-A on the same day as Vaughn, Chourio was 1-for-6 in a three-game stint cut short when he fouled a ball off his left ankle on Saturday night. X-rays were negative, and he was seen at Busch Stadium early Monday afternoon doing running drills under the watch of the Brewers’ medical staff.
“It was a close call because he’s still very sore,” Murphy said. “Certain balls you foul off your foot or your ankle don’t give you that same type of pain. Where he was hit, he was very sore. But he’s champing at the bit to go.”
Is six at-bats enough to be ready for big league pitching?
“Definitely,” Chourio said via translator Daniel de Mondesert before the game.
Then he proved it.
“The kid did this last year,” said Murphy, referring to Chourio’s late-season comeback from a hamstring injury. “He knows the difference. He knows when the lights are on. Fabulous effort. Five great at-bats. We obviously didn’t come up with the big hit for him.”
In another notable roster move on Monday afternoon, the Brewers returned right-hander Quinn Priester from his rehab assignment after he reported shoulder soreness in a third straight ineffective start for Nashville. He remains on the IL with thoracic outlet syndrome.
“We felt like pulling him off right now was the best thing,” Murphy said. “He doesn’t feel like he’s injured again in the long term. He just feels like this is a setback and we’re going to take some time to evaluate.”
There was much better news on the hitting front. That even goes for designated hitter Christian Yelich, who is on the IL with a strained left groin but was able to take batting practice on the field Monday.
Chourio and Vaughn, meanwhile, were preparing to play ball once again.
“Hopefully this gives us a little boost and people can see light at the end of the tunnel,” Murphy said.